Case Number 17998: Small Claims Court

ICE ROAD TRUCKERS: THE COMPLETE SEASON THREE

The Charge

"We're waiting with bated breath to see what the next situation is going
to be." -- Alex

Opening Statement

While Alex isn't rushed to the hospital this season, Ice Road Truckers:
The Complete Season Three has its share of cliffhangers, as the truckers
battle weather, moose, dangerous roads, and equipment breakdowns.

There's a change of venue as Hugh Rowland and Alex Debogorski start over
again as rookies in Fairbanks, Alaska, to ferry supplies to the oil rigs at
Prudhoe Bay. Mostly they'll be on an icy road -- the James W. Dalton
Highway -- with stretches known by names like the Rollercoaster and Avalanche
Alley. They work alongside four American truckers -- veterans Jack Jessee and
George Spears, and youngsters Lisa Kelly and Tim Freeman -- as they learn to
navigate the dangerous Dalton.

In case you're worried about it, the last stretch is an actual ice road. You
still get plenty of ominous narration as well.

Facts of the Case

Ice Road Truckers: Season Three features thirteen episodes on four
discs:

Disc One * "Deadliest Ice Road" On Opening Day,
Jack moves the season's first heavy load, George mentors family friend Tim, and
Alex and Hugh arrive in Fairbanks. A rescue crew heads to an accident scene, and
trucks are readied for the icy road.

* "Rookie Run" Jack is stopped with a "tail heavy"
load, Alex and Hugh take drug tests, and an overturned truck is recovered.

* "Canadian Invasion" Jack performs a roadside rescue, Lisa
puts the tire chains on to haul a load of tires, Alex and Hugh train for the
road, and a bulletin warns of a storm.

* "Blinding Whiteout" Jack's on the road during the
whiteout, Lisa's pilot car is disabled, and Hugh "makes a desperate
downshift" to avoid hitting another trucker.

* "Arctic Ice" Safety officer Phil Kromm has his own
accident, Alex gets ahead of Hugh for once, Lisa strives to be the first
"heavy haul woman," and stolen tire chains mean that Tim is
"barefooting" back to Fairbanks.

* "Wicked Weather" Tim and George attempt to reach Deadhorse
before a storm, Hugh hauls toxic waste, and Phil holds a barbecue during an
unplanned stop.

Disc Three * "Killer Pass" Hazards include a
record snowfall, passing on a dangerous curve, a wrecked tanker, ice fog, and
pranks.

* "Turn and Burn" A faulty taillight and blowing snow
trouble Tim, Hugh's log book troubles the inspector, and sheep block the road
for Lisa and Jack.

* "Ocean Run" Jack hauls liquid; Lisa, George, and Tim make
a three-truck convoy; a backhaul means extra cash for Alex; and caribou block
the road for Hugh and Phil.

Disc Four * "Busted Parts & Breakdowns"
Lisa takes on a passenger stranded by the air traffic shutdown after Mount
Redoubt erupts, and they both are stranded by a fuel leak. Meanwhile, Hugh has
an exhaust problem.

* "Race for the Finish" Spring brings new hazards, such as
sleet, rain, and snow over ice. Lisa's hauling explosives, and a plow tows
Jack.

* "Arctic Thaw" George gets ready for his last haul before
retirement, Hugh and Lisa both have brake problems, Tim makes his first solo
run, and Jack heads for a remote island.

The Evidence

How many times can you show a special-effects shot of a truck plunging over a
cliff? A lot, actually. There's also way too much of the announcer's urgent,
ominous narration ("An ice road trucker's nightmare -- no brakes and slick
roads!"). After watching a big batch of Joe McDoakes shorts a few weeks
ago, I was thinking of this guy as an insane version of Joe's ever-present
omniscient know-it-all narrator. Not a good sign. Surprisingly, what goes on
between the narration and the bogus crash footage is calmer than in past
seasons.

Sending Hugh and Alex to Alaska means the two Canadian truckers are rookies
again, learning from veteran Stateside drivers. Although Hugh's still up to some
antics -- his clash with truck inspectors is hilarious and he chafes at riding
in a convoy -- even the Polar Bear is quieted by a tough challenge. Fatalistic
Alex, who struggles with tire chains, also seems humbled by the Alaskan highway,
at least for this year.

Learning seems to be the theme this season, with George's friendly mentoring
of Tim, who's continuing in the family business, as the centerpiece. Tim gets
hit with just about everything -- a rougher-than-usual winter, stolen tire
chains, mechanical breakdowns -- as he keeps going, possibly motivated more by
expenses than the challenge of the Dalton. George seems confident that his
trying rookie season is forging a hardy trucker. There's another
"upstart," as the narrator puts it, in second-year Dalton trucker
Lisa. She strives to be "the first heavy haul woman," so she's pushing
hard.

There's also more to learn about Arctic trucking for viewers at home, as the
show follows avalanche crews, shows how mechanics test and patch tires, and
recalls the history of the Dalton. Occasionally, as when snow and ice freeze up
Lisa's brakes or a pickup passes Alex and then suddenly stops, risking a
collision, you might even get a glimpse of a winter driving problem you should
look out for yourself.

The show looks good for the most part, with the filming conditions
occasionally producing shaky camera work or hard-to-read night scenes. Subtitles
go under any dialogue that might be hard to hear, but it's mostly clear
anyway.

There's a half-hour of bonus features that are interesting and informative,
covering a dozen topics. Transportation crew camps, the ice road meteorologist,
a long-distance walker, crosses at fatality sites, Lisa Kelly, Coldfoot camp,
camera work in extreme conditions, tire chains, mechanics, a review board
hearing, and two breakdowns are discussed.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

With a quieter season of learning ahead for the truckers, the first two
episodes actually seem slow at times, and Hugh and Alex cracking jokes about the
drug test didn't do much to liven things up. Once you get past the slow start,
though, Ice Road Truckers: The Complete Season Three is pretty
interesting.

Closing Statement

Sending Hugh and Alex out onto the Dalton turned out to be a good move for
Ice Road Truckers in Season Three. I'm not sure where the producers will
send them next year -- Siberia, perhaps? -- but they'll have to work hard to
come up with a Season Four to match it. Giving them a new challenge, and then
introducing young truckers Lisa and Tim, made the show more about facing
challenges and rooting for the newbies than simply "What's going to happen
next?" Although the production sometimes got in the way in the form of
overdone narration and special effects, it turned out to be a good show.

The Verdict

Not guilty, although you might want to wait till spring to check it out.